CQU students engineer change on ground in India

By Priscilla Roberts

CQUniversity students have gained rare, hands-on experience in human-centred engineering while making a tangible difference in local communities, through an immersive learning abroad program in India.

In November last year, six CQU Engineering students travelled to India for a four-week humanitarian engineering experience at research institution Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

The group worked alongside academics, researchers and local communities to help protect culturally and environmentally significant sacred groves in Kerala.

At the heart of the students’ work were sacred groves – places where culture, spirituality and environmental protection intersect. These ecologically significant sites may consist of natural forests, regenerated woodlands, or a blend of both.

They are typically protected by local communities, often due to longstanding spiritual beliefs that regard them as abodes of deities, as well as for their ecological functions such as preserving water bodies and maintaining habitat continuity.

CQUniversity’s Civil with Humanitarian Engineering program has gained strong recognition, with the Humanitarian Engineering Project embedded as a key component of the curriculum, enabling students to apply engineering theory in real-world, community-led and culturally informed contexts.

The India experience marked the third time the initiative has been run, and the first time it was extended to a four-week, New Colombo Plan Mobility Program-supported program.

CQUniversity Humanitarian Engineering Discipline Lead Associate Professor in Engineering Shameen Jinadasa said the experience exemplified the University’s commitment to equipping socially-responsible engineers.

“This program gives our students an extraordinary opportunity to engage in human-centred engineering projects that are making a real difference in communities,” Associate Professor Jinadasa said.

“They are not just applying technical skills – they are learning to listen, to understand cultural and ecological contexts, and to work respectfully with communities to co-design solutions that are sustainable and meaningful.”

Based at the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures in Amritapuri, students worked on a Live-in-Labs® community-led project at the Devakulangara Sacred Grove, a culturally significant ecosystem facing environmental pressures from surrounding development.

Second-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) student Reid Birbeck said the experience fundamentally changed how he understood engineering.

“Coming from rural Bundaberg, most of my first-year engineering experience had been classrooms and problem sets – this was completely different,” Mr Birbeck said.

“Working directly with the community showed me that engineering solutions only become meaningful when they are culturally aware and community driven. 

“We weren’t there to ‘fix’ everything, but to listen, learn and help develop informed recommendations that respect both heritage and ecology.”

Students conducted hands-on field and laboratory investigations into water quality, soil characteristics, air conditions and carbon sequestration, while also designing and deploying engineering prototypes to monitor local microclimates.

Assistant Professor Dr Amritesh from the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures said the collaboration demonstrated the power of community-engaged engineering research.

“This project is a strong example of how humanitarian engineering, applied research and traditional conservation practices can work together to strengthen climate resilience,” Dr Amritesh said.

“The students worked closely with local communities and researchers to establish baseline ecological data, with early results reinforcing the importance of sacred groves as resilient, community-protected ecosystems.”

Associate Professor Jinadasa said the program plays a vital role in equipping students with the skills, confidence and global perspective needed to thrive in future engineering careers on the world stage.

“Experiences like this help our students understand that engineering is not just about infrastructure or technology – it’s about people, place and long-term impact,” he said.

“That mindset is essential for the next generation of engineers working in a rapidly changing world.”

Applications will soon open for the next India humanitarian engineering program, planned for November this year, with details to be released once Term 1 commences.

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